Phil Mickelson won’t have to spend the next three weeks wondering if he’ll be in the Ryder Cup golf team.
In the final qualifying event for eight Americans to earn their way onto the team, there was no change after the PGA Championship. Mickelson was holding down the No.8 spot and was assured of qualifying for the ninth straight time when neither Bo Van Pelt nor Steve Stricker could make a run on the back nine at Kiawah Island.
Tiger Woods, a captain’s pick in 2010, was No.1 in the standings.
Also qualifying were Bubba Watson, Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar. Dufner, Bradley and Simpson will be playing for the first time in the Ryder Cup, which will be played from September 28-30 at Medinah.
US captain Davis Love fills out his 12-man team on September 4 with four picks.
Stricker made a late run with a birdie on the par-three 14th, but he had to settle for par on the 16th and he closed with a birdie on the 18th that made it look close. He wound up one shot out of a tie for third, which would have been enough to move past Mickelson.
Mickelson walked off the course unsure of his standing, knowing Van Pelt and Stricker could catch him.
“Even though the score wasn’t there, I hit some good shots,” he said. “I was pretty pleased with how it started to come around.
“I had some opportunities to make a run. Unfortunately, I putted very poorly the last two days.”
AP ajw/